'Coplan Armado' legitimate, says Dumlao

ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines -- One of the police officials who gave a go signal for the plan in Atimonan, Quezon that led to the deaths of 13 men insisted Wednesday that the operation was legitimate and valid.

Supt. Glenn Dumlao, head of the Regional Public Safety Battalion of the Calabarzon police, appeared before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) at around 2 p.m. Wednesday.

He said he wants to show that he is cooperating with the NBI on its investigation into the case operational plan dubbed as "Coplan Armado."

Aside from Dumlao, sacked Calabarzon police director Chief Supt. James Melad and Supt. Hansel Marantan, the regional intelligence officer who tipped the Quezon police about the alleged gun-for-hire group, also signed the coplan proposal.

The legitimacy of the January 6 encounter Atimonan is now being investigated by the NBI after doubts were raised over the intention of Marantan, who has been accused of being involved in jueteng operations in the region.

It has been alleged that Marantan set up the checkpoint in order to kill Siman, his group's alleged jueteng turf rival.

Melad was relieved from his post on Tuesday following yet another questionable police operation that led to the death of alleged Siman aide, Fernando "Pandoy" Morales, on Monday. -- Report from Zhander Cayabyab, dzMM